greent's mfw journey

greent

So all paperwork has been delivered to our accountant yesterday - I shall await the completed tax returns, and then I can update Student Finance for DD. I've updated Tax Credits - they say they're going to pay us some money this year! - I'm expecting that they'll ask for at least half back (seems to be standard! ) so I'm planning on saving half of it in a separate account and using half towards BTL mtge (let's not get too excited here - the total they're planning for the whole 2018/19 tax year is just over £1k)

My car breakdown insurance renewal is due this week. Last year (auto renewed :eek: :eek:) the premium was 96.32. This year's figure - with 2 years no claims bonus - was 120.96. I phoned them up and they offered straight off to reduce it to £99.68 or to match any lower online quote from them. I declined - explaining that it is my personal bugbear that loyalty is not rewarded - you have to work to get the better deals. I know it is the same for all insurances and it frustrates me! Anyway, I've gone elsewhere, for the same cover, at a much cheaper price and through tcb - which has already tracked :T Ok - it's a smaller company and I suspect if I use it my wait times may be longer - but most of my journeys are very local and my car is regularly serviced and (at almost 9yo) has only 36.5K on the clock.

Other money news - I've finally got off my b*m and opened a S&S ISA with Vang**rd. I've put in a small lump sum and then added a monthly investment of £150. I could do more, but caution is holding me back :o However, doing something about it is infinitely better than the nothing I've been doing for the last few months - I read the term analysis paralysis on someone else's diary - and that's me! Well, no longer! :T

I'm feeling kind of sorted at the mo - clearly I've forgotten something and it'll jump out and bite me at some point! :rotfl:

Now I just need to get my house sorted and I'll be winning! ;)

xx

Karmacat

Thats good! All of it I admire you sticking to your principles with the car insurance too. The one place I remember doing that is with double glazing - they give you a final quote and then say "if you get a lower one, come back to us and we'll see what we can do". I told them they'd just lost the business - I'm not here to have my time wasted.


On your tax papers, can I ask - do you keep the personal receipts too, the ones you *don't* claim for? I confess I do, I always think, well, what if they asked me to prove what I was doing, if I was audited (I never have been). And now I've been retired for two years, its even less likely. Do you keep that sort of thing, or chuck it straight away? It would help my filing system if you said "chuck"

greent

Karmacat wrote: »

On your tax papers, can I ask - do you keep the personal receipts too, the ones you *don't* claim for? I confess I do, I always think, well, what if they asked me to prove what I was doing, if I was audited (I never have been). And now I've been retired for two years, its even less likely. Do you keep that sort of thing, or chuck it straight away? It would help my filing system if you said "chuck"

Definitely chuck - and our accountant has never said to do anything other than get rid of them
x

Karmacat

greent wrote: »

Definitely chuck
x

:j:j:j Thanks!

brizzlegirl

Well done on setting up the ISA. I think its much better to do something than nothing. Ours are doing well and its an incentive to keep going. I keep the app on my phone and check it all regularly....put some extra over and above in this month so feeling virtuous too :rotfl:

Hope you find some nice places to go...Grommits Trail in Bristol perhaps...

greent

What a lovely weekend! Friday we went to a presentation at DS3's school for a teacher's leaving thing - the teacher concerned was DD's reception teacher (as a NQT - so it was her first job/ class), and ahs also taught the other 3. She's off to a different school to be Dep Head. Bless her - she was a soggy mess! We contributed to the school collection, but also took up just from us a bottle of prosecco and some H0tel Choc0lat pink champagne truffles A relaxed evening followed, and OH had the idea to go out on Sat to the Forest of Dean.

So yesterday we went out the FoD (beautiful place - so lucky to live close by) to a lovely area along a brook, with shade, large clearings and BBQ areas and picnic benches (at decent intervals from each other) We took a portable gas BBQ, yummy food & drinks, some things to throw around.... spent several lovely hours there. The boys paddled in the brook, finding stones and creatures. Things were thrown around. Relaxing was done. Parking was free , food was perfect, and all rubbish brought home. Cost us some ice creams/ choc bars at the end of the day :T Weather was just right - not as hot as it has been, but warm enough to be out in the forest in shorts and tshirts and not be at all chilly. Got home about 7ish, mostly still stuffed so people just had a snack at best.

Had a lie in this morning and then (I blame newgirly for this bit :rotfl: :rotfl:) I caught up on MSE and decided to book a CParcs break for a couple of weeks time. We're off to the newest one (Woburn Forest) - we've never been there before. Haven't booked any activities as yet, but will probably do bowling and 1 or 2 other things. Mainly it will be some down time, though. Stuck it on (now empty) 0% CC and will repay it over 3 months, I think. Everyone is looking forward to it


As to the Grommits trail, brizzle, we may well pop about and find some - probably not all, though - my lot will get bored before then! I've seen some pics on fbook of some and they look fab (I like the Monsters Inc one best, so far! )

Pretty chilled day other than that - a wee bit of shopping (inc some bargain YS items) and lots of lounging around. Just a lovely atmosphere

Although we go in 2 weeks, I am now already planning in my head about using things up! We can take food, obv, but some things are easier here. Fridge is currently full to bursting.....


Oooh - and my S&S isa has so far lost 0.58%!! :rotfl: I have, however, sold a couple of things on flebay and lots of kids bits on fbook, so kids and I have had bonus money in the past few days :T

Roll on Tues afternoon - then DS3 will have finished for the Summer...
xx

Moneyfordreams

I'm blaming NG for me looking at cruises

CathT

Off to see what Newgirly is up to!!

greent

Soooo..... today is day 1 of the holidays (as in all children now home) - DS3 finally broke up yesterday afternoon (DS2 was 13th July, DS1 was after his A levels, so back in early June, and DD has been home from uni since 20th May!)

Not much planned today. DS1 is off to his gf's later (she finishes school at lunchtime) but is going on the bus (it's a 30 min drive by car, but I want my car today) I need to go to Icyland, BnQ and drop a repeat prescription in at GPs. Will leave DD in charge of smaller 2 whilst I do that

Plan is to watch Incredibles today/ tomorrow on DVD before maybe going to see Incredibles 2 at cinema this weekend. We shall see

No money news - skint until payday. Have managed a couple of teeny OPs from claimed cashback and a small flebay sale. Also need to pay for DS2's school bus pass by next Tues - have paid deposit of £100 to secure his place and now need to pay the remaining £860! :eek: Oooh - have just remembered that I'm due some invigilation money this month from main school (and maybe a tiny bit from 2nd school if they've processed it - but they usually take a longer time to pay out) - that'll help! And have also just remembered that DD's deposit from last year's flat is being returned today (less £60 admin fee! :mad::mad:) and we paid that at the time - so that money is ours, too - whoop! Good timing!

Other than that, the beautiful weather continues (although it may rain on Fri) :T I'm also now looking at fridge contents to ensure things get used up before we go away (I know it's 10 days to go, but I like to make sure!) I know we can (and will) take some food with us, but I plan on keeping it all relatively easy food whilst at CP (eg fakeaway Nand0s)so need to ensure things are used up and waste is minimised:)

8.40am and it's just myself and DS3 awake at the mo.....:cool:
x

greent

Lovely afternoon spent watching Incredibles DVD yesterday afternoon (and the stuff on disc 2 - 2 'shorts' and deleted scenes - just me and the 4 - in prep for watching Incredibles 2 at t'cinema Took up 3 hours of the day, at the cost of a £3 box of Malte5ers (to make it more cinema like! )

Quite a lazy day today - I got up at 6.30 (rain and wind had disturbed my sleep) and had about an hour to myself before DS3 woke up I've baked a loaf (and may bake another in a mo - have realised we're out of white now), done a small Tesc0 shop, nipped to BnQ for 2 paint testers, popped to see my sis with an outfit for nephew I've also started working on budgets for Aug, got OH's expenses and invoices up straight and might reconcile the business bank accounts later (I know how to spend a Saturday night! :rotfl:) Easy dinner planned of hm burgers, wedges, salad, coleslaw and onion rings - feels like Sat night food without the expense :T

As well as our Cparcs visit (a week Monday :j) OH has also booked a surprise 3 nights away trip for just him and I at the end of the month. It was meant to be a total surprise, but he accidentally what5apped me instead of DD (doh!) I don't know where we're going, though (although I think I might have guessed) It does mean that I must remember to get all the back to school stuff a little earlier than usual, though (although, of course, I've only got 2 to sort now :j)